Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews did not recommend surgery on Soriano’s sore right elbow, and the Yankees hope to get him back in about two months. An MRI exam on Tuesday revealed an inflamed ligament. The Yankees sent him to Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., yesterday to see what Andrews recommended.

Andrews prescribed two weeks of rest for Soriano, followed by a conservative throwing program. General manager Brian Cashman said Soriano could face hitters in about 6-8 weeks on an optimistic timetable. That would take Soriano into July. After a minor league rehab assignment, Soriano could be ready to return to the Yankees before the end of July.

“He’s got a real issue,” Cashman said. “It’s something we need to take care of. You’ve got to be careful with it, and if it’s taken care of properly it will be behind him, we hope, and you move forward.”

The $35 million reliever has been on the shelf since May 13 when he faced the Red Sox. Soriano had complained about soreness in the elbow but two MRI exams, including one dye-contrast exam, showed minor inflammation. After throwing on Monday, Soriano complained of more pain, and the training staff shut him down. He pointed to an area on the elbow indicating a ligament problem, so he was sent for a dye-contrast MRI exam. This time, the doctors saw an inflamed ligament.

The Yankees signed Soriano in January over Cashman’s objections to a three-year, $35 million deal because owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, along with president Randy Levine, wanted him after he saved 45 games with the Rays last year. The signing has been a poor one so far, with Soriano struggling to adjust to his setup role and now the injury.

“We have a lot invested in this player,” Cashman said. “We’re counting on him to give us championship-caliber innings to help us get the ball to Mo, but he’s not going to be in a position to do so unless he’s healthy. He is not healthy right now, and we’ve got to get him to that point.”

The Yankees now have $18 million of bullpen arms on the disabled list with Soriano, Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte. Still, Cashman said he is not worried that his short-handed bullpen will hurt the team.

“What place are we in?” Cashman said of the first-place Yankees who hold a half-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. “It’s as simple as that. It’s a team. Ultimately, you do what you have to do. You’re going to have injuries. You’re not going to want the injuries to come in certain places. It’s a fact and you’ve got to deal with it and you’ve got to turn the page and fight through it. I think we have people capable of getting us through it.

“It would be nice to have all these guys come back and join the party at some point, but they’ll only be allowed to if they’re healthy.”